Bedbugs have reemerged as a nuisance throughout the world in recent years. Bedbugs were thought to have been eradicated throughout most of the world several decades ago by the widespread use of powerful insecticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); however, because of many of the harmful effects of these powerful insecticides, their use has been banned in countries such as the United States. DDT and similar insecticides have since been replaced by less potent insecticides such as pyrethroids. As a result, bedbugs have developed resistance against these weaker insecticides, and thus have again become a persistent pest in human dwellings, and in particular homes, hotels and motels.
Bedbugs are parasitic insects that feed primarily on human blood as well as the blood of domesticated animals. They are typically active at night, and their bites can leave visible, itchy welts on the skin of their victims if allergic. Bedbugs often enter dwellings in luggage, clothing, or other items, and typically live in places near the sleeping areas of humans, such as walls, mattresses, bed frames, and box springs. Because bedbugs are capable of reproducing multiple times a year, infestations can be very difficult to exterminate. This is particularly true for multi-person dwellings such as apartment buildings, hotels, and motels, where separate dwellings have adjoining and/or adjacent physical separation, such as a wall, such that bedbugs have access to multiple human victims. In addition, the growing resistance of bedbugs to current insecticides, the increase in the amount and types of international travel has further exacerbated the spread of bedbugs, particularly in major metropolitan areas. Further, current attempts to curb bedbug infestations have largely been ineffective. For instance, some chemical insecticides have been applied to affected areas, such as a mattress; however that can expose those using the mattress or infected areas to the odors and other effects of chemical pesticides. In contrast, insect exterminator services often use gel-based pesticides that have low toxicity; however, these types of pesticides—while effective against most other insects—are not capable of eliminating bedbug infestations.
Thus, based on the growing resistance of bedbugs to current pesticides and the spread of bedbugs through domestic and international travel, there is a need for a safe and effective way to exterminate bedbugs.